Freezing

Q. What is the correct temperature for my freezer?

Freezers should always be kept at -18°C or less. All freezers should have a star rating so consult your manufacturer’s handbook:

* Runs at –6°C and should only store food for up to one week

** Runs at –12°C and should only store food for up to one month

*** Runs at –18°C and should only store food for up to 3 months

**** Runs at –18°C and is suitable for long term storage (3 to 6 months)

Q. How long can food be stored in the freezer?

As a general rule and to maintain the quality, food should not be stored in a freezer for longer then 6 months (provided that your freezer is suitable for storing foods for this length of time. See star ratings above).

Q. Can I freeze foods which have passed their “use by” date?

No. Food should only be frozen if they are within the 'use by' date. If the food is frozen within its ‘use-by’ date it is important to remember that the ‘use-by’ date will no longer apply.

Q. How should frozen food be defrosted?

Ideally, frozen food should be covered and defrosted overnight in a suitable container, such as a plate or dish, in the fridge. Large items like turkeys may take longer then one night – allow one day for each 5 pounds of weight. Be careful when defrosting raw meat that the drip does not contaminate cooked/ready-to-eat foods.

Only defrost food in a microwave if you are planning to cook the food immediately after it has thawed. This is because some areas of larger food items may begin to cook during the defrosting process, raising the temperature to a point where bacteria can grow. Always check your microwave manufacturer’s handbook for guidelines on defrosting.

Q. How long can I keep defrosted food in the fridge before cooking it?

Once the food is fully defrosted it is best to cook it straight away. Once cooked it can be stored in the fridge again (for 2-3 days) or frozen.

Q. Can I refreeze defrosted food?

No. Defrosted food should not be refrozen unless first cooked to over 75°C and should not be refrozen more than once following this cooking step.

However, many manufacturers will put a statement on their foods along the lines of 'This product has been previously frozen but is suitable for home freezing.' While this may seem at odds with our general advice to consumers not to refreeze previously frozen and defrosted food,  if a food business can appropriately control a freeze/thawing process to maintain the safety of the product, this general recommendation to consumers would not apply.

If a freeze/thaw process is controlled appropriately by the food business and there is no impact on food safety or food quality, the product can be refrozen by the consumer. The food business must have included this manufacturing process in their procedures for managing food safety and be able to provide documented evidence of this.

Food businesses are legally responsible for producing safe food and, in addition, under food labelling legislation, must ensure that the information provided on the label is accurate, unambiguous and not misleading in any way.

So, although the recommendation for consumers preparing and freezing their own food at home is not to refreeze defrosted food without a cooking step in between, we consider that labelling of previously frozen food as “suitable for home freezing” is acceptable when appropriate controls as specified above are rigorously adhered to by manufacturers of these foods.

Q. How long after defrosting my freezer must I wait before turning it on again and putting foods back in?

Once you have defrosted your freezer and switched back on the power, you can store frozen foods straight away. It is only in the case of new freezers that you must wait a number of hours before storing frozen foods (You should consult your manufacturer’s handbook for more information).

Q. What do I do if there is a power cut?

If there is a power cut or the freezer door has been left open by mistake, the food may still be safe to eat.

• As long as a freezer with its door ajar is continuing to cool, the food should stay safe overnight.
• A freezer full of food will usually keep for about 2 days if the door is shut.
• A half-full freezer will last about 1 day if the door is shut. To determine the safety of food when the power is restored, check their condition and temperature.

If food is partly frozen and still has ice crystals then it is safe to refreeze or use. Discard food that has been warmer than 5°C for more then 2 hours.